Afeni Shakur, Mother of Tupac and Political Activist, Has Died

Some incredibly sad news is being reported. The Marin County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a possible cardiac arrest at the home of Tupac Shakur’s mother around 9:30pm on Monday night. After being transferred to an area hospital, Afeni Shakur Davis, unfortunately, passed away at 10:28pm. She was just 69 years old.

Afeni was a huge inspiration for her late son who regularly rapped about her struggles in his music. Born Alice Faye Williams on January 10, 1947, she went on to become a political activist and Black Panther before emerging as a successful businesswoman and philanthropist. Fearless and strong beyond measure, she even acted as her own criminal defense attorney when she stood accused of participating in several bombings during her time with the Panthers.

She brought that same fierceness to protecting the legacy of her son after he was shot on September 7, 1996 in Las Vegas. After six days in the hospital, the 25-year-old died from his injuries. Of course, there are a number of people who subscribe to the belief that he is still alive and, already, there have been rumblings on the internet about the possibility of him emerging from hiding in the wake of his mother’s death.

Either way, she will be remembered for her relentless spirit and devotion to her son for whom she founded the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation. She also helped bring his music to Broadway in the show Holler If Ya Hear Me in 2014 and served as the CEO of Amaru Entertainment.

Unfortunately, the most successful people often attract the wrong kind of people. At the time of her death, she was embroiled in a contention divorce battle with her husband of 12 years, Gust Davis. According to TMZ, the minister was seeking alimony from Tupac’s estate which, reportedly, generates about $900,000 per year. Of course, Afeni was fighting that so it’s anyone’s guess what will happen now that she’s gone.

It will be interesting to see how this will affect the upcoming biopic, All Eyez on Me, which is already in production in Atlanta. Afeni, who will be portrayed by The Walking Dead actress, Danai Gurira, will be featured heavily as the story progresses from her early days as a Panther through her struggle to raise Tupac to be aware of the social injustices in the world around him. Heavily involved with the project, Afeni Shakur was also acting as an executive producer for the project.

No official cause of death has been provided, although, initial supports suggest that she was suffering from cardiac arrest. Undoubtedly, we will learn more in the coming weeks as officials continue their investigation.